Glowsun - The Sundering

Glowsun “The Sundering”, 2008
(Buzzville Records)

The effects of globalization are ever present in this day and age.   We’ve all likely been informed by a news source that the global economy is in recession.  Glowsun are a French band, who are heavily influenced by desert rockers Kyuss.  During tough times cutbacks have to be made so the vocals on this album are sparse and the songs are heavy on the instrumental side.   In this three-piece ensemble downsizing is important so the guitar player handles the vocalist role.   The vocals on the first song “Virus” and riffs on “Green Sun, Sick World” bring Tool to mind and some of the music but overall there’s more than a cursory glance towards the fuzzed out world of stoner rock.  “The End” is a spaced out jam finishing with sung vocals coming in at the end of the song.    “No Way” moves from a long quiet breathtaking guitar passage into a wah wah pedal eclipse.  “Barbarella” opens with what sounds like a sample sex scene from a French movie.  Drums quietly enter the frame then after a vocal burst; the band erupts into their stoner riffing lava flow.  The drums are at their loudest at the start of  “The Heads” which quickly turns into a cosmic jam with a little “Surfing with the Alien” guitar.   The last song “Need” borrows rather liberally from Kyuss.

The emphasis in the mix is on the guitar sound coming through loud and clear.  Glowsun won’t be winning any originality competitions but this disc grooves and shakes in the right places.

3/5

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